Overview
- Police have arrested hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and cook Keshav Negi and detained other staff as investigators widen a probe into the Malviya Nagar fire.
- The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, killed 21 people and led forensic teams to collect burnt wiring and other samples while preliminary findings point to smoke inhalation as the main cause of death.
- Inspectors found sealed windows, a locked basement exit and that the B&B was operating roughly 26–28 rooms despite permission for six, issues that delayed rescue and raised questions about safety enforcement.
- The Delhi government has ordered district magistrates new powers, invoked Disaster Management Act measures, and carried out large sealing and demolition drives that officials say shut more than a hundred properties in recent days.
- Hospitals continue to treat injured survivors, many of them foreign nationals, and officials have said the city will review and likely scrap the B&B policy while proposing third‑party safety checks and insurance to prevent repeat lapses.